Mavi Guest house team are a great, friendly bunch. They helped me with all kinds of things to make my stay in Istanbul very enjoyable. After traveling in other parts of Turkey for three weeks, they welcomed me back like a friend returning. more

NEVER STAY HERE! We arrived around 9pm from Ankara and had a very pleasent welcome, even being offered tea and a seat to relax. However, that is where the positives begin and end... The kind manager explained to us that our BOOKING HAD BEEN LOST (something I always read about but never believe can actually happen) and that instead of... more

This property is recommended in the Lonely Planet but in our view does not deserve its recommendation. It is definitely not good for families. I will admit they had a problem with not having electricity the night we stayed however this does not explain all of the issues. Having booked a couple of months in advance we were given a... more

Hi all, The only advantage of this hostel is the location (if you want to stay in Sultanahmet ). For the rest it's an old building very close to fall down (some works to put it back to shape are more than necessary) and it does not give you the impression of cleaness at all. The rooms are small (some... more

I arrived in front of Aya Sofya with the names of a few hostels in my head. I followed my directions to one of them and found something of a hostel-zone. There were people sitting around outside the Mavi and I asked if they had any beds. Of course! And since it was summer you could stay on the roof... more

One word, three syllables, to describe this hostel: naa-aasty. I'm spending one night here as I write this review in the middle of January. The hallways and bathroom are as cold as outside. There was no cold faucet on either of the two shower stalls, each of which had half a curtain. "A lick of paint" doesn't come close to... more

This place was a really nice spot to stay for a few days. A social hostel where you can meet plenty of other travellers but not too much of a party spot that you don't get any sleep either. It maybe could do with a lick of paint and touch up in spots but overall the super friendly staff and... more

Perhaps it was just really bad luck, but huge swaths of Istanbul were suffering from a power outage the evening I arrived. When I finally reached Mavi Guesthouse, there was no power, and I was shown to my room up a dark staircase and given a candle for light. It was romantic in a weird sort of way, and I... more